Lab Associate

12 Months Contract

Work days/hours:
Tuesday – Friday 8:30 am – 7:00 pm (some flexibility on start/finish time); 10‑hour days.

Pay rate: $24 / hr. Onsite daily.

Sparks, MD

This position is an Associate responsible for applying basic scientific principles to routine laboratory work and gaining experience in the application and interpretation of department procedures. The Associate will perform routine laboratory tasks, learn and apply quality procedures to ensure compliance, and enter laboratory data in the SAP enterprise system. Typical responsibilities include routine testing of products and supplier materials, stability testing, and documentation compliance.

Interaction primarily involves Operations and other quality groups.

• Perform general laboratory duties such as management of product retentions and lab cleaning, as directed by departmental SOPs.
• Handle hazardous materials, including chemicals and infectious agents, in accordance with safety and company policy.
• Assist in writing and revising documentation, including test methods, final product specifications and SOPs.
• Assist in completing tasks in project protocols, change notifications, deviation waivers and quality notifications under supervision.
• Work as a member of the /AST Quality Control team to perform benchtop testing of Phoenix system disposables, including panels, broths, and indicators; additional testing may involve Crystal, Micro Count, or RMT product lines.
• Perform other lab duties as assigned, including management of product retentions, streaking of microbial culture plates used in daily testing, and pH testing.

• Experience working in a laboratory setting, preferably with microbial cultures and general microbiology techniques.
• Knowledge of FDA, GMP/QSR, and ISO regulations.
• Experience with PC spreadsheet, word processing and database applications.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Good problem‑solving skills and the ability to make independent decisions.

Bachelor's Degree in Biology, Microbiology or a related field.

Required:

No experience required beyond a Bachelor's degree. Preferred:
One to two years of related experience.